John d



(NoModelL) J. D. TOWNSEND. v Conductors for Underground Telegraph Lines No.2'3 5,61l

Patented Dec. 14,1880.

'FIBTl' Fus a.

THE; 2

N- PEIERS, FHOTO-LITHOGRAFHER, WASHINGTON. u C.

lUNrTED STATES PATENT @rrrcn.

JOHN D. TOWNSEND, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR OF TWO-FIFTHS TO CHARLES L. GORE, OF SAME PLACE.

CONDUCTQR FOR UNDERGROUND-TELEGRAPH LINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 235,611, dated December 14-, 1880 Application filed September 18, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN D. TOWNSEND, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Conductors for Underground-Telegraph Lines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertaius to make and use the same.

The object of myinvention is to so construct the curbs and gutters of streets that the space 110w occupied by the ordinary curbstones and I5 gutters may be utilized for the reception and preservation of telegraph, telephone, and other wires; and it consists in two or more boxes or cases suitably connected together, the openin gs being covered by a single removable cover, forming the step and gutter piece, the cases being laid parallel and occupying the space beneath the curb and gutter.

It vfurther consists in details of construction that will be hereinafter more fully set forthin the specification, and pointed out in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a perspective view (partly in section) of my improved curb and gutter. Fig.2 is a section showing the ordinary curb and 0 gutter. Fig. 3 is a section of the removable cover, forming the curb and gutter piece. Fig. 4 is a section of the wire-inclosing cases, with the removable cover in its fixed position. Fig.

5 is a top view of the cases, showingthe method 5 of joining the sections together by flanges.

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 00 m, Fig. 5.

It is well known that the present method of supporting telegraph and other'electrical conductors upon poles is not only expensive and 40 dangerous, but also renders repairs exceedingly difficult. This is especially the case in cities, where the conductors are liable to inj uryby vehicles striking the supporting-poles, and where they are often destroyed by fire and fire- 5 ladders, building-ladders, &c. Moreover, by beingconstantly exposed to the direct action of the weather, the wires become oxidized and deterioration takes place, which is a source of electrical resistance, and ultimately of destruction to the wires.

In my device the objections above noted are entirely removed or reduced to a minimum, as the wires are protected from the dust, weather, and ordinary accident. In my deviceitis only necessary to remove the cover from the inclosin g-cases to detect and repair an injury or replace the couductors. Again, the repairs in cident to municipal authorities for curbs, gutters, 8w, will be removed and obviated, as such repairs, 850., will be done by the organi- 6o zation or company owning or controlling my device, and it is, of course, obvious that the expense of repairs, replacing of curbs and gutters is an item which amounts to a large sum, even for a single year.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, Fig. 1, J represents the pavement or sidewalk; O O, the curb, and G the gutter plate or piece, cast in piece with the curb plates or pieces 0 O.

In Fig. 2, L represents the ordinary curbstone, M, the gutter-stone, and I the pavingstones. The curb and gutter stones above referred to are to be removed, and Qthe space thus obtained filled by the two conductorcases A B, Fig. 4, the first of which occupies the space taken up by the curbstone L, and the latter, B, the space underneath the gutterstone.

The cases may be made in sections of suitable lengths, and joined together by suitable 8o flanges, for the purpose of excluding moisture and dirt, as indicated in Figs. 5 and 6.

The chambers may be made separate and suitably joined together, as shown in Fig. 4, or they may be made in one piece.

If deemed necessary, the curb and chambers may be made of artificial stone, concrete, 8270.

I prefer, however, to make them of cast-iron. The sides of the cases and cover are made with flanged projections D and f. The flanges o 1) receive screws or bolts E, bymeans of which the cover is held in place, while the exterior flanges, f, serve to more effectually exclude dirt and moisture. The gutter-plate G is provided with an exterior flange, against which the pav- 9 5 lug-stones are placed. At street-crossings the space underneath the flagging will be occupied by the transverse cases P, which open into the main conduits, and may extend underneath the sidewalk to adjoining buildings, 10o

so as to carry the conductors directly into the buildings. These transverse conduits may be carried under the sidewalks at any point. The cross-walks are covered by the plates 0, having the flanges f, the ordinary cross-walk stones being shown at O. The joints of the chambers may be filled with any suitable elastic cement, or be filled with lead, so as to exclude moisture. The interior of said cases or chambers may be coated with a suitable insulating substance, and the exterior coated or painted with tar, 850. I prefer to insulate the conductors themselves in the ordinary way, and thus save the cost and expense of general repairs from oxidation, &c.

The surfaces of the curb and gutter pieces may be serrated or roughened, so as to prevent slipping; but as this has been done before I make no claim to it.

I may, of course, have several of these chambers, and use one independently of the other.

A telegraph-conduit constructed as above described and shown is light and durable, and can be easily repaired or replaced.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A conduit for telegraph and other conductors, consisting of atlanged case or chamber forming a street-curb, a parallel flanged chamber forming the gutter, the chambers be ing connected together at the sides and ends and covered with a removable flanged cover forming a step and gutter-piece for the curb and gutter, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

2. A hollow curb and gutter for streets, consistin g of the parallel cases A B, provided with flanges D, and a cover, H, provided with flanges f, and forming the step-piece G and gutter-piece G, substantially. as described, and

for the purpose set forth.

JoHN D. TOWNSEND.

Witnesses:

DUDLEY H. NoRRIs, WM. H. CHURCH. 

